ChroNINOcles (Nino Appreciation Week collection)
by PerditaAlottachocolate
Summary: A collection of drabbles and short stories for Nino Appreciation Week prompts. Humor, Fluff, Romance mostly. Day 1: Music/Film "Let It Go", Day 2: Hero/Villain "My Hero", Day 3: Favorite Ship "Ready for Shipping, Day 4: Nino vs. ... "Say Cheese", Day 5: Family
1. Day 1: Let it go PART 1

_Author's Note: Welcome to Nino Appreciation Week everyone! Thank you wearemiraculous for doing this for us!_

 _This is going to be a collection of prompts, some will be related. It will be signalled each time._

 _This is prompt for Day 1: Music/Film, part 1 of a two-chapter story for Days 1 and 3._

 _Special thanks to Remasa for encouraging comments and pointing out the mistakes!_

 _Did I mention I can't drabble? I still can't._  
 _In case it's not obvious: they are about 5 years older, Alya and Marinette share a flat, as are Nino and Adrien._

* * *

 **"Let It Go"**

'Hey, babe! Whassup?!'

Alya froze on the doorstep eyeing him up and down.

'What are you doing here?' she asked suspiciously.

'Um, visiting my friends?' he ventured. 'It's nice to see you too?' he suggested after lack of response on her end of the conversation.

The redhead took a sweeping glance at the corridor behind his back. 'Adrien's not with you?'

'Nope. He's getting ready,' Nino replied with a surprising amount of sarcasm.

'Then it's good you're here,' Alya dragged him inside and closed the door in one swift motion. 'I need a babysitter.'

'What now?'

'A babysitter. Maman had an emergency at the restaurant so she dropped Etta and Ella at my place. They are already crazy bored.'

'So?'

'So I need you to keep them busy somehow.'

'Why don't you do it yourself? You're an expert at babysitting or so I've heard,' Nino grinned at her. Babysitting two little girls? Nah, he'll pass.

'Please Nino,' Alya pursed her lips and fluttered her lashes. 'I know you're actually quite good with kids and we have a crisis.' She nodded in the direction of the bathroom.

'A crisis.' Nino repeated flatly.

Marinette's head emerged from behind the bathroom door. At least he thought it was Marinette. Bluebell eyes, freckles and her timid smile were all there, but her hair…

'Oh…' he whispered not sure what one is supposed to say when some alien creature attacks your friend's head. Alya followed his gaze and chuckled.

'May I introduce you to Miss Madly Clumsy's newest adventure,' she announced. 'Pre-date hair crisis.'

Marinette tried to groan but it came out more as a giggle. Nino suspected that after years of various hapless incidents she was bound to get used to things like that.

'Wait. Why aren't you at your place helping Adrien?' the crisis girl asked.

'Um…,' Nino scratched his chin. 'It got too Agrestive for me there.'

Alya and Marinette rolled their eyes in unison.

'Ugh, you spend too much time with Adrien,' the latter muttered. 'But why are you really here?'

'I politely excused myself after a not very pleasant conversation with Adrien's father.'

'And what's his father doing there? It's your place.'

'Apparently supporting his son before his first real date,' Nino said dryly. 'Anyway, he didn't like my suggestions as to what Adrien should wear.'

'So you left Adrien alone?'

'What? No! What kind of friend would do that?!' Nino spluttered indignantly. 'No, his father is helping him now.'

'WHAT?!' Alya looked mortified.

'Look. This is Gabriel freaking Agreste. Do you know anyone better qualified to choose Adrien's clothes for this occasion?' He asked raising his brow and nodding slightly in Marinette's direction. The brunette was making quiet squealing noises, though Nino couldn't guess if it was at the thought her childhood idol choosing an outfit or her crush getting all dolled up. As far as he knew it could have even been both.

'Oh…' The redhead deflated a bit. 'And Adrien's okay with that?'

'Relax, babe. He's ecstatic. Best day ever, huh?'

'I suppose,' Alya didn't look convinced. 'Anyway, the twins? I'll go get them.'

'Fine,' Nino gave up. He would be more than happy to do anything Alya asked for. He sent a love-struck look after her. Nino only allowed himself those when no one was around.

'If you'd ask her out she'd say yes, you know,' he heard Marinette's small voice beside him. Crap, he thought she was in the bathroom. 'You've been looking at her like that for a long time. You should do something about it,' she said gently.

'Look at her,' he said resigned. 'What would a girl like that want from a guy like me?'

'Oh, Ninny,' he felt her arms snaking around his shoulders and then she was hugging him. 'How can you even say that! You're a fantastic guy, and Alya would be lucky to be with you!' She exclaimed with passion that startled Nino for a moment.

'Don't repeat the mistakes me and Adrien have made,' she whispered into his ear. 'Five years! We've wasted five years dancing around each other, while we could have been together all this time!'

'Yeah,' Nino chuckled. 'It's ridiculous how long it took you two oblivious idiots to finally get to the first date.'

'See?' Marinette withdrew from the hug and gave him a warm smile. 'You're not an oblivious idiot. Just tell her!' She hugged him again and he kissed the top of her head.

'Thank youuuu- what the hell did you do to your hair!' Now that he got a close look this didn't look like alien invasion but more like a science experiment gone very wrong.

'Um… curling iron and green highlights – not my best idea,' she said sheepishly.

'Right. His colors,' Nino muttered under his breath. 'Adrien would love it.' He admitted.

'Well, he's gonna have to love ordinary me and what's left of my hair.' Marinette flashed him a bright smile just as Alya emerged from her room with two little redheads in tow.

'I've found the scissors,' she said. 'Etta was getting busy with one of my comics,' she sent the twin on the left a murderous glare. Nino always wondered how could she tell which sister was which.

'Please, don't let them leave your sight. They're worse than Chat's cataclysm,' she warned and urged them into the living room. Then she turned to Marinette.

'Haircut time, dear,' she announced and her friend sighed in resignation disappearing behind bathroom door.

* * *

Nino was at a loss. He was good with kids, his little cousins to be precise, but it was easy enough. He just had to find a ball and ask who was going to be Neymar and for the next hour or so the problem was solved. Then he would turn on one cartoon or another and prepare some food. His little cousins were easy to manage. But girls? What did they do for fun?

Currently the twins were busying themselves with a pile of old clothes Alya had just dumped in the middle of the living room.

'I'm gonna be Cinderella!' One of them, possibly Ella, exclaimed wrapping Marinette's blue pareo around herself.

'And I'm gonna be Bella! The other, probably Etta, replied instantly putting on Alya's yellow sundress.

Ah, it looked like they were quite happy. Nino took that opportunity to inspect his phone to check if Adrien was still alive.

A few texts and one extremely Chat style gif later Nino was so focused on his phone that he missed an innocent question, automatically replying "Sure".

'But which princess?' An inquiring voice brought him back from conversation with his best friend.

'What?'

'Which princess you're going to be?'

'Excuse me?' Nino raised his eyes from his phone to see two mounds of folded fabric with hazel eyes.

'What are you looking at?' The yellow mound asked instantly diving to his phone.

'Do you have any princesses there?' The blue heap followed her sister and Nino lost hold of the device.

Hmmm. One phone, three people? What could he do?

* * *

'My work here is done!' Alya announced emerging from the bathroom half an hour later, Marinette at her heels inspecting her new haircut in a hand mirror.

'Awww, Alya! You're amazing! I never would have thought pixie cut would suit me,' She cooed at her reflection. 'How are you so good with scissors!'

'Ah, remember that time when there was that thing I couldn't do?'

Marinette widened her eyes in surprise. 'No.'

'Neither do I,' Alya winked at her. 'Now where's our babysitter and the little monst- I mean the little angels? Oh-' she stopped mid step and put a finger to her lips.

'What?' Marinette whispered looking over her friend's shoulder. 'Oh-'

'~ _Let it goO! Let it gOOo!~'_ sang a little but strong voice as Alya started sneaking her way into the living room. _'~And I'll rise like the break of daAawn~.'_

' _~Let it goO! Let it gOOo!~'_ a second soprano joined, clear as a bell, when they turned around the corner _'~That perfect girl is goOne~!'_

' _~Here I staAand in the light of daaAay!~'_ a third, much lower voice took over.

Alya and Marinette reach the room and saw that it belonged to a familiar tall figure wrapped in blue and white shawls, save for a red cap on top. The figure took hold of a pink microphone and was now reaching the end of the vocals at the top of his voice.

' _~Let the storm rage oOOOOOOOOOO-~'_ Nino dragged the last note as long as he could but faltered noticing the unexpected audience.

Marinette and Alya instantly turned, their backs touching and hips cocked. ' _The cold never bothered me anyway!'_ they sang in unison smiling at their quickly reddening friend.

'Encore! Encore!' The twins screamed excitedly, jumping on the couch. Nino was the best babysitter they ever had!

* * *

 _AN: I hope you liked this part. I'd love to hear what you think._

 _There's going to be one more chapter in this story - for Day 3: Favorite Ship._

 _I planned 5 prompts for 5 days, so remember to check them out here, on my tumblr or on wearemiraculous blog_

 _Happy Nino Appreciation Week!_

 _If you liked this collection, check out my other ML stories!_


	2. Day 2: My Hero

_Author's Note: This is a short story for_ _ **Day 2: Hero/Villain**_ _and also only not fluffy/humorous story for NAW. The genre is hurt/comfort._

 _It's a companion to my ML reveal week fic "Stay" - Chapter 3 of "The Tales of Seven Reveals", but it can be read as a stand alone piece._

 _There's going to be another part of this series, for Day 5, but that one is pure fluff._

 _Again a gigantic thank you to Remasa, for checking if this doesn't make you cringe because of poor quality or mistakes! Make sure to check out her fantastic fic posted today for NAW: "All Eyes on Me"._

* * *

„ **My Hero"**

Nino despised Akumas with all his heart. He despised Hawk Moth too, but that coward never had the balls to come out and play with Ladybug and Chat Noir, sending innocent cannon fodder instead. And as innocent as the akumatized fellows were underneath (Nino should know best, he had been one of the first), outside they were outright dangerous. Lethally so.

It seemed that just during his collège years he had already seen enough akuma activity for a lifetime, but year after year new villains hit and he always ended up in front of a TV watching the development and biting his nails.

And he was sitting there again and gnawing at what was left of his nails. Because just a few weeks earlier the fight Ladybug and Chat had been leading had suddenly become personal. Now it wasn't just a spotted heroine bravely soaring through Paris skyline in the company of a black feline. Now it was his wife and his best friend risking their lives on a daily basis.

Sometimes Nino wished he could go back to not knowing, so that he wouldn't have to think about Amélie and Adèle every time Chat got smashed into a brick wall or about his poor heart when Ladybug went one-on-one with yet another monstrosity. He hadn't sign up for that. Nuh-uh. He married a talented and brave woman, sure, but he hadn't know she was _that_ brave.

Now he gave up on biting nails and started pacing around the room. Despite the heroes' best efforts the battle somehow got dragged through city almost to their doorstep. He didn't even need the TV anymore, he could see the fight from his own windows. It looked even scarier. And it went on far longer than usual. Either Marinette and Adrien were not in good shape today, or those Akumas were getting stronger.

Never in his life did he feel more helpless than in those moments when he could only be a passive witness, not able to do a thing. He could only groan and grunt every time he heard a thud, hands clenched to fists and jaw set in stone.

There was a familiar shout of 'Cataclysm' (how could he have _not_ recognized that voice for so many years? It was so obvious now!), and he saw a metal construction falling apart over the fighting trio.

Nino didn't waste another second. He tapped the stopwatch to keep an eye on the time count. Then he grabbed the container he had prepared as soon as Marinette transformed, just in case, and rushed to the roof. He was hoping this time the kwami food wouldn't be needed, that with the help of Chat's power they would wrap things up pretty quickly.

He was wrong. Cataclysm must have turned out not to be a successful diversion and the battle continued, only now Chat was on timer. Soon Nino heard the clicks of his baton as the feline hero retreated to their building to repower.

This was the only way Nino could help them – providing the shelter and food for their kwamis, so that they could get back to battle as quick as possible. Once again the wave of powerlessness overcame the only civilian out there to know the identities of the super duo. He prayed to any deity who would listen for any way in which he could do more, but in vain. He didn't possess any special powers or abilities. All he could do was to assist them from the stands.

Adrien detransformed and collapsed onto a small mat Nino had put in a secure corner hidden by the chimneys. He was breathing heavily and gratefully took the water bottle from his friend. Plagg, uncharacteristically silent, was already stuffing himself with camembert. Nino didn't even need to ask to know how serious the situation was. He let his friend and the kwami have some rest, while he risked a peek over the chimneys.

The sight made his blood freeze and his heart stop.

Ladybug was just catching her Lucky Charm, when the Akuma struck. The heroine was thrown off the roof and into a terrace two stories below. The blow was so strong that after the fall she rolled a few times and stopped on the concrete banister, motionless. The object she summoned still lay where she had been standing mere seconds ago. The beast cackled with satisfaction and kicked it to the gutter. Then it started its slow crawl to the unconscious heroine.

Nino didn't hear Adrien's questions. He didn't react to Plagg's yells. All of his blood _boiled_ in that one second and then solidified into iron. Nino didn't feel anything, didn't think. Before he even noticed, his legs were already carrying him over the rooftops and to Ladybug.

Adrien and Plagg were still screaming after him, but he was deaf and blind to anything but the still body of his wife laying on the terrace vulnerable and unprotected. She was two houses away, yet he could see her like she was just in front of him. The sprint over the rooftops seemed to be taking forever, but Nino just ignored the burning of his lungs, the ache in his limbs and the slips of his feet over the tiles. His brain restarted about halfway to the terrace and he stumbled when he remembered he was just himself, without a supersuit, running over slippery roof right into danger.

A plan. He needed a plan, but it was always Marinette who came up with those. Lucky Charm was _her_ plan and now it lay in the gutter. Nino could see it still gleaming red over the grayness of the pipe. One last look at Ladybug and he modified his direction to intercept the magical object.

He reached it in time to catch a glimpse of the Akuma jumping down into the terrace. Somewhere far behind he heard Chat's transformation spell, but it was too far for the feline hero to make it. Acting purely on instinct he didn't suspect he had, he slid down using the gutter as support and in just two leaps he was in front of Ladybug. To his relief, she was slowly coming to her senses. So help was on the way, all he needed to do was to hold off the Akuma long enough for his wife to wake up or Chat to join them.

But he didn't have a weapon and the Lucky Charm looked useless, like they usually did to anyone but the spotted heroine.

'Catch!' was all the warning he got before glimpsing a silver dash with the corner of his eye. Chat's baton found his hand almost magically. Nino gripped it firmly and prepared for a fight.

Hit. Parry.

Don't yield even for one step.

Hit. Block.

Ladybug is right behind you.

Clank. Thud.

Chat will be here any second now.

Breathe. Hit.

You can do it.

Hit. Parry.

You have to.

Block. Hit.

Oh, fu-

That was his last thought as the Akuma ripped Chat's baton from his hand and threw him to the side. Then the world went black.

* * *

'Niiinooo~'

A subtle whisper was the first thing he heard upon waking up.

'Niinooo~'

He felt a delicate breath on his earlobe.

Marinette.

It was her voice. His Marilady was calling him and it wouldn't do to keep her waiting. Nino opened his eyes.

He was lying in their bed, in Marinette's arms. She was all right. She was smiling now, but he saw the traces the tears must have left on her cheeks.

'You're okay,' she breathed and pulled him closer.

'Can't. Breathe,' he choked.

'Do you need to go to hospital?'

'Not. So. Strong,' he wheezed and Marinette loosened her deadly grip in an instant.

'Sorry,' she said sheepishly. 'Sometimes I forget how strong I am. Are you alright?'

'I think so,' Nino said inspecting his aching limbs. 'A little sore maybe. You?'

'Couldn't be better.' Marinette looked at him with immense pride. 'You're my hero.'

'Say what?'

'You saved me,' she said kissing the top of his head. 'Adrien told me what you did. If it wasn't for you I-' her voice broke.

'Shhhhh, there's no need for that,' now Nino pulled her closer and started stroking her hair. 'I'd do anything for you, you know that?'

'You could have died!' she sobbed.

'You could have too,' he said quietly. 'What would I do without you, Nettie?'

Marinette raised her head from his chest. 'Let's never find out,' she said and kissed him gently.

With a sigh she curled up against his side again and let him stroke her back. There was no place he would rather be than with her, cuddling like that, forever. But he couldn't. Soon there would be another akuma. And another. And another. How long do they have before it's finally over? Will she be the ultimate winner? Or will it be him who loses his whole world?

* * *

Nino waited for Marinette to fall asleep and then he gently pulled out of her embrace and turned off the light in the bedroom. He seriously doubted he would be able to sleep for the next few hours, the memories of the fight still haunting his thoughts. He decided it would be a good occasion to have some work done since he hadn't exactly been in a state to do anything productive for the best part of the afternoon. He checked on Tikki, only to find her snoring lightly in her nest on the shelf and he closed the bedroom door.

As he reached the living room a strange creepy feeling overcame him, like an itch he couldn't quite place. Nino looked around the dark room but saw nothing out of place. Yet he felt the hairs on his neck raising and his muscles tensed in alarm.

He turned the light on and immediately noticed a black box with red ornaments, resting on the coffee table. He knew what it was. Marinette and Adrien had similar ones. They told him all about that glorious September day when they had received their Miraculous.

Nino hesitated. This was what he was asking for today, wasn't it? To finally be able to help, to make a difference, to protect those he loved most. But he was just Nino Lahiffe, a bit silly, somewhat clever, sure, but not even half as strong as Adrien, just a simple music lover. He was no hero material.

'Good evening, young man,' he heard an old rusty voice behind him. There was a short Chinese in a red flower shirt standing there. Nino hadn't heard him move, he could swear there was no one in the room with him mere seconds ago.

'Go on, open it,' the man encouraged. 'Your time has come.'

Nino reached for the box and was momentarily blinded by light. When it faded away there was a small creature floating in front of his face, similar to Tikki and Plagg but all green, with a tiny turtle shell on its back.

'Evening, Master Nino,' it bowed. 'My name is Wayzz and it's an honor to finally meet the new Guardian.'

* * *

 _AN: I appreciate your follows, favs and reviews, they are my main motivation to write._

 _If you liked this fic, check out my other stories, including prompts for Nino Appreciation Week - you can find them here or on my tumblr (perditaalottachocolate-blog)._

 _PS. Now this got a few new parts, you can find them here:_

 _Part 1: The Tales of Seven Reveals (ML Reveal Week Series), chapter 3: Reluctant: Stay_

 _Part 3: ChroNINOcles (Nino Appreciation Week collection), chapter 5: Day 5 – A Birthday_

 _Part 4: Tininette_


	3. Day 3: PART 2 Ready for Shipping

_Author's Note: This is a short story for_ _ **Day 3: Favorite Ship**_ _. It is also part 2 of "Let it Go" (Day 1: Music/Film) – Chapter 1 of this collection._

 _I would like to thank Remasa for editing this. A LOT! You have no idea how many typos and other funny mistakes my sleep-deprived brain makes! And thanks to Rem, you're not going to suffer through them. If you haven't, check out her amazing fic "All Eyes on Me"._

* * *

 _"_ _ **Ready for Shipping"**_

'Finally!' Alya sighed leaning on the door she just closed behind her sisters and her mother. 'I declare this apartment kid-free zone again!'

Nino frowned at his phone. 'Is Marinette ready yet?'

'Only make-up left at this point, why?'

'Adrien just texted. He's running late and he wanted to know if it's all right, since I mentioned the hair crisis.'

'You told him I have a hair crisis?' Marinette groaned walking out of her bedroom. 'Omigod, I'm gonna die!'

'Have you seen his hair?' Nino raised a brown. 'There's no excuse he would understand better.'

Alya stifled a laugh, while Marinette glared at her.

'But why is he running late?' she asked to avoid her friend's next remark. 'I thought his father was helping him.'

'That's the problem,' Nino shrugged. 'When Adrien let it slip that he was taking Marinette out, his outfit suddenly wasn't fashionable enough for a young budding designer with such a good taste. And they went back to square one. Plus apparently Gabriel tried to persuade Adrien into changing your itinerary.'

'WHAT?' Marinette fumed. 'No way. It was a miracle in itself that I got those tickets on such a short notice. Adrien has been talking about Jagged's new album for months. Like hell I'm changing plans now! Tell him he's got five minutes to get his feline ass over here or I'm asking Felix out.' With that she stormed into the bathroom.

'Told you she definitely has a type,' Alya chuckled at Nino's mortified expression. 'And that Felix has been hanging around us a lot lately, you know,' she added as a way of encouragement, but Nino's fingers were already dancing over the keys, wingman alert proclaimed.

Marinette barely got hold of mascara when there was a flash of blue light and suddenly the room was full of Paon's feathers.

'I'm here! I'm here!' Adrien yelled freeing himself from the blue hero's grip.

'There really was no reason for such haste,' Paon said reproachfully. He murmured "Duusu, feathers down" under his breath and after a cobalt flare Gabriel Agreste stood in the middle of the carpet, a mix of abashment and pride on his face.

Pride was probably due to Adrien's impeccable outfit, classic blue denim slacks with purple patches tastefully placed here and there and graphite leather jacket over a black and purple tee. Add the military boots and there was a young, reasonably rebellious gentleman ready to head to Jagged Stone concert with his charming date.

Abashment marring Mr. Agreste's face was something Nino witnessed for the first time in his relatively short life. He wondered what happened in the span of that one minute since he'd passed on Marinette's ultimatum.

A blue dash shot from Gabriel's pocket.

'Hey! Nino! Nino!' Duusu squealed. 'Long time no see! Got any gummy bears?'

Nino absentmindedly patted his pockets. 'Yeah, here. Help yourself,' he said opening a fresh bag of kwami favorite jellies.

'Please forgive me for showing up unannounced,' Gabriel said bowing slightly at his son's friend and flatmate. 'But my son started – as you young people say – freaking out over someone called Felix,' he shot Nino a disbelieving look, 'so I decided to ease his nerves and provide the fastest transport within my reach.'

'Paon taxi. They turn up out of the blue like that, you know,' Adrien winked and turned to look for Marinette. 'Where's my lovely Lady?'

'Getting all pretty for you, Kitkat,' Alya nodded in the direction of the bathroom just as Marinette appeared at the door.

'Oh, Mademoiselle Marinette,' Gabriel bowed again. 'New haircut?'

The brunette smiled warmly at her mentor and winked at her crush. 'It was a spur of a moment thing, but I think this turned out rather nicely.' She ran her fingers through her now much shorter hair.

Adrien whistled in appreciation. 'I absolutely love it!' he beamed and Marinette's cheeks momentarily coated with a deep shade of pink.

'Indeed, it suits you,' Gabriel agreed. 'Now that everything seems to be in order, please excuse me, I have a fashion empire to attend to. Duusu, feathers up, please.'

Another flash of light and Paon was ready to go. He shot a meaningful look at Nino, but the boy was purposefully avoiding his gaze. It would take a long time to get used to any of those recently discovered identities and Paon taxi was the last of his problems.

Adrien nudged him in the ribs.

'What?'

'Maybe the Guardian would like a lift?' Paon inquired stiffly. 'It's the least I can do to make up for the earlier inconvenience.'

Nino paled in an instant, Paon taxi becoming the first of his problems really quickly.

'Nah, I'm good,' he said weakly. 'I need to talk to Alya anyway,' he looked at his friend hoping she would notice the silent plea in his eyes.

'Yeah, we definitely have some things to talk about,' she supplied loyally.

'Perhaps another time then,' Paon bowed again and disappeared in a puff of air.

A single blue feather drifted to the ground while the four people remaining broke out in a fit of laughter.

* * *

'Silence, at last!' Alya called sinking into the cushions. Nino passed her the bowl with popcorn.

'How do you think this will go?' he asked.

'After five years?' Alya considered his question. 'They will be engaged by the end of the next month!'

'20 euro says they'll be engaged by the third date,' Nino chuckled. 'Have you ever seen Gabriel giving anyone a lift? Adrien sure is determined.'

'Why wouldn't he be? He was waiting for Ladynoir to set sail for five long years,' the redhead pointed out turning the TV on.

'Yeah,' was all Nino replied casting a thoughtful glance in her direction.

'Also, you're on,' Alya winked. 'A ring by their third date or I'll have my 20 euros.'

They sat in silence watching some random title Alya just clicked. Unbeknownst to her Nino was gathering the courage to finally tell her what's been on his mind for so long. But it seemed that even heroes sometimes chicken out. Especially in the company of a very attractive fox. He decided to edge the topic in hope for an opening. He liked to think of himself as straightforward, but apparently not when it came to his love interest.

'I can't believe Ladynoir has sailed,' he finally said.

Alya giggled. 'Well we can't call it that, at least not in public. We need another name.'

'I suppose there's always Adrienette.'

'Yeah, that ship gathered dust for so long,' she sighed.

'But you never lost hope, right?' Nino scooted closer and wiggled his brows.

'How could I, this is my OTP,' she smiled and put her head on his shoulder. Suddenly the room got too hot and stuffy. This was his opening.

'Seriously?' he asked pulling away and locking eyes with her. ' _That's_ your OTP?'

Alya frowned, surprised with his inquiring look. 'Why?'

Nino gulped, but summoned all his courage to actually get the line out. 'I thought that maybe it would be Alyino?' he aimed for casual but it came out strained.

Alya eyed him suspiciously, her face carefully blank. 'Are you saying what I think you're saying?'

He wasn't so sure anymore. 'What?'

'Because you can't be serious?' she chuckled lightly.

'Oh…' Nino deflated in an instant. 'Um… sorry.'

'Alyino?' Alya shook her head. 'Bleah. That's really silly, you know.'

'Yeah, I figured by now' he replied gravely. He thought that she might say no, but to tease him about it was so unlike her.

'Turtlefox sounds much better, don't you think?' she said and Nino's heart exploded with a hundred beats per second.

'That is, if you would like that,' she added noting how red and silent he suddenly got. Carefully she moved closer and let her arms circle his waist. He noticed a trace of fear in her eyes. She never looked more vulnerable and this was exactly how he felt, before the wave of affection consumed him. His eyes went to her lips. Alya nodded barely noticeably and that was all he needed.

'I'd like that very much,' Nino murmured closing the space between them in an electrifying kiss.

* * *

 _AN: How did you like it? Don't forget to let me know. This author really appreciates your reviews, favs and follows, they inspire me in many, many ways!_

 _See you tomorrow for the next prompt! In the meantime check out my other stories!_

 _Come and bother me on tumblr (perditaalottachocolate-blog) - I tend to post sneak peeks of the stories I'm working on and share mostly miraculous content. Drop by when you're in tumblrhood!_


	4. Day 4: Say Cheese

_Author's Note:_ _This is a short story for_ ** _Day 4: Nino vs. …_**

* * *

 **"Say Cheese"**

'Gotcha!' Nino released a satisfied hiss at the sound of the mouse-trap's spring snatching into place.

'What the hell!' Something spluttered indignantly from that direction.

Nino froze. Mice didn't curse as far as he knew.

He jumped off the couch and came closer to the trap. Something was still there, but it wasn't trapped at all. It was a black blob with cat ears and murder in its green eyes.

'Meowrrrr,' it said.

Nino blinked. Cats _did_ meow, they just didn't _say_ meow. Something very strange was going on here.

'Did you just say "meowr"? he asked.

'You caught that, huh. You're smarter than you look,' the black blob replied snatching a piece of cheese from the trap and stuffing it into its mouth.

'You're the one stealing our cheese?'

'Pffft! Stealing! That camembert is mine!'

'No, it's not. Adrien has it specially ordered every Tuesday. He lives on cheese apparently.'

The blob shot him an unimpressed look, throwing another piece of the bait into his mouth.

Actually now that Nino thought about it Adrien always ordered cheese, smelled a bit like the thing and his supplies disappeared at an express rate. The amounts of cheese he'd supposedly been eating were unbelievable. And yet despite camembert being a rather rich in fat Adrien hadn't even started to get round. Moreover, Nino had just realized, he actually never had seen his friend eating the stuff.

'So, what are you?'

'Not what – who. I'm Plagg, god of destruction.' He extended a paw sticky with cheese.

'Of destruction you say?' Nino scratched his chin. 'So… foosball table last week?'

'Yup, twas me.'

'And the hinges to the fridge a week before that?'

'I needed my cheese and it was stuck.'

'Aquarium?'

'Not my fault fish were mocking me.'

'Anything else?' Nino tried to remember all the mysterious malfunctions in their flat since him and Adrien moved in together a few months ago.

'Not lately,' Plagg dismissed his question with a flick of his paw. 'Although…'

'Yes?'

'I may have caused that short circuit in the loudspeakers last month,' the kwami admitted, a flash of guilt skipping over his face, but only for a split second.

'Whyyyy?' Nino whined. Those were fresh new loudspeakers although to his amazement Adrien paid for the replacement without a single word. Now it was more understandable.

'The wires looked like cheese,' Plagg shrugged that part of the blob that was supposed to serve as shoulders. 'Easy mistake.'

'Wires looked like cheese?' The boy echoed, cocking a skeptical brown.

'String cheese,' the little god tapped his nose. 'You never know until you try, kid.'

Nino chuckled. 'You're quite a handful for a god, aren't you?'

Plagg shot him with an incredulous look.

'What?'

'Is this too much to expect respect if you're a god?' The black cat asked dramatically.

'If all you do is gobbling cheese and breaking stuff then yeah?' the boy replied, unabashed.

Plagg just stared at him, eyes narrowed to slits, until Nino started to feel uncomfortable.

'What?' he croaked when he just couldn't take that stare anymore.

'Nothing,' Plagg shrugged again. 'I was just wondering…' he added with a devilish grin.

'Dude, you're seriously scaring me right now.'

'Don't worry,' the kwami replaced the grin with a thoughtful frown. 'I was just thinking maybe I should introduce you to one of my associates.'

'Does he like to break stuff too?'

'Nah, but Wayzz's got chill, like you.'

'Thanks, dude,' Nino pulled a fist in his direction. Plagg eyed it suspiciously.

'Are you trying to hit me?'

'No! I thought- despite the cheese and the damage you look like a good guy actually,' the boy replied rubbing his chin in embarrassment. 'And I thought maybe you'd like to fistbump. I guess not.'

'Fistbump?' Plagg perked up. 'Dude? I think I'm gonna like this new development.'

* * *

When Adrien came home some time later that evening he almost choked at the foul smell drifting from the kitchen. He risked a peek and found Nino patiently warming a small fondue pot over a candle. Several wraps relieved of Gruyère piled next to empty wine bottle on the counter.

'Some fondue, Adrien?' Nino spotted his friend and put on a very disturbing grin.

'Thanks, I'll pass,' Adrien replied weakly. 'Wait, why are you making fondue?'

'Excellent question!' Nino's grin only widened. 'May I propose another one: why is the god of destruction living with us and eating your cheese?'

'Um… is there really?' the blonde squeaked.

'You order his camembert,' Nino said accusingly.

At that moment Adrien spotted Plagg casually leaning over the pot and dipping a straw in it. The little cat's face dissolved into a blurred tipsy smile.

'Right.' Adrien desperately tried to find a way out of this one. 'He's a-, he's a-… my cat?'

'You wish!' Plagg slurred as Nino raised a brow in disbelief.

'Fine. He's an insanely powerful eternal magical creature who sometimes enters my ring and lends me his powers,' the blonde blurted out, secretly wondering how much of an ass Plagg will turn out to be after absorbing a bottle of wine.

'Hah, nice try, my man, but you should definitely work on your lying skills,' Nino chuckled shooting his friend with finger gun and Adrien thought that maybe not all of the wine went into Plagg's spacious belly. 'Another slice, Plagg?' the bespectacled boy offered his new friend the bread basket.

'Nah bro,' the kwami swayed slightly, his eyes squinted and a bit unfocused. 'Bread makes you fat!'

* * *

 _AN: I dedicate this drabble to Seasonofthegeek - the wonderful person who's responsible for this fantastic Nino Appreciation Week!_ _In case you haven't heard -_ _"Bread Makes You Fat"_ _is the newest masterpiece by Season. You should check it out, it's hilarious!_

 _Don't forget to let me know how did you like my little drabble._  
 _This author really appreciates your reviews, favs and follows, they inspire me in many, many ways!_

 _See you tomorrow for the last of my prompts! In the meantime check out my other stories!_


	5. Day 5: A Birthday Gift

_Author's Note: This is a story for_ _ **Day 5: Family**_ _. It can be read as a stand-alone piece, although it's a sequel to stories "Stay" (from ML Reveal Week) and "My Hero" (Nino Week, Day 2: Hero/Villain)._ _  
_ _Those two were hurt/comfort, but this is supposed to be just fluffy and funny. Enjoy!_

 _ **Ginormous thank you to Remasa for her constant presence and support before and throughout this week. It was a lot of fun!**_ _I'm definitely going to repeat that for Gabriel Appreciation Week January 21-27, 2018!_

* * *

" **A Birthday Gift"**

'I propose a toast!' Adrien raised both his glass and his voice over the hum of the party. 'To our lovely birthday girl! May she always look as happy as today! Happy birthday, Marinette!'

'Happy birthday, Marinette!' The guests recited after him.

'~ _Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you_!~' Alya intoned for the seventh time, but everybody seemed totally unperturbed with another repetition, cheerfully singing with her.

When the last notes of the birthday song died out, Adrien raised from his seat and helped Amélie up.

'I hope you'll excuse us, Mari,' he said apologetically, 'but we have to go. The babysitter can stay only until eleven and Amélie needs her sleep too.' He tenderly put his hand on his wife's round belly.

Marinette observed this gesture with genuine smile, and Nino fought the urge to hug her immediately. They had been trying for over a year now and although Marinette couldn't have been more ecstatic about Adrien and Amélie going to be parents for a second time, he knew deep down she wished her and himself could finally get there too. He hoped his little surprise would cheer her up a bit. He hadn't given her the baby they wanted. _Yet_ , he corrected himself, he hadn't given her the baby _yet_ , and not for the lack of enthusiasm for the idea. But he could give her something to care about while they waited for their dream to come true. The package was resting secured in his work room and waiting for the guests to leave.

Alya followed Adrien's steps. 'I have a morning flight to catch, Mar-Mar. We'll talk when I'm home, okay?' She pulled Marinette for a tight hug. 'Awwww, I already miss you!'

'Me too!' the birthday girl complained. 'It's not the same if it's just skype.'

'One more year, I swear, and you'll never get rid of me,' the redhead winked.

'Do you need a lift?' Amélie offered. 'I'll be driving by your hotel anyway.'

'Then I won't refuse,' Alya smiled and with one last wave she left with the Agrestes.

'We'll be going too, sweetie,' Sabine was already cleaning up the table with Tom's help. They were amazingly effective, like one person with four limbs. Nino wished one day he could be as synched with his super-teammates as his in-laws had been with each other.

'We have the new apprentice showing up for the morning shift.' Tom ruffled Mari's hair and kissed her forehead. 'And you should go to sleep too, cupcake. You look tired.'

'Happy birthday, Marinette!' Dupain-Chengs sang happily, making their goodbyes with Nino and leaving.

Marinette sank to the sofa. Nino started massaging her shoulders and she sighed with relief.

'Ready for your last gift?' he asked after a while.

'Another one?' She turned to face him. 'You spoil me, Mr. Lahiffe.'

'I do what I can, Mrs. Lahiffe,' he kissed her. 'I'll be right back.'

When he returned Marinette was frantically going through the contents of her oversize bag. She stopped as soon as she saw him, instantly putting on her most inconspicuous look. That meant she was hiding something.

Nino chose to ignore it for the moment and put the large package on the coffee table. 'I hope you don't mind, but this is a bit heavy. Happy birthday!' he said and motioned her to unwrap the gift.

'Let's see what you've been up to,' she giggled ripping the paper and ribbons. 'Oh, Nino! It's so cute! Thank you!'

'I know we were talking about bringing a new member to this family, and this isn't what we had in mind,' he felt he should explain the idea. 'And that's okay! We still have plenty of time. But I thought that could give us some practice in the meantime?'

Marinette blinked at her husband in disbelief. 'You really need more practice than taking care of two kwami with occasional visit from Plagg?'

'Hah, maybe not, then.' Nino suddenly felt stupid. They really had been a very responsible couple. 'Tikki and Wayzz helped me choose.'

His wife opened the cage and let the little golden hamster sniff her hand. 'It's so sweet of you. Thank you.' She flashed him a warm smile. 'And remind me to thank the other two members of this family for their help. It's perfect.'

'It's a he-hamster.' Nino supplied and Marinette's giggles followed. 'What?'

'Hihamster. That's going to be his official name,' she declared. 'Hihamster Lahiffe. What even gave you this idea?'

Nino shrugged. 'You wanted to have one when we were teens and today your dream came true!'

'Funny you should say that,' she murmured.

'Why?'

'Oh, I have a present for you too,' Marinette ignored his question, but returned to her bag and ducked her head inside.

'Maribug, you've got it all wrong, honey. It's your birthday, so you should be getting gifts, not giving them,' Nino snickered at her antics.

'Oh, don't you worry,' she replied taking a small box out of her bag. 'My dreams came true today, remember? Here,' she passed him the box.

Nino reluctantly opened it and stared at the content. 'Lovely,' he said after a while, utterly puzzled. 'Are these for Wayzz?' he asked pulling out two tiny green shoes. 'He doesn't really have feet, you know, plus they are too big for him.'

The corners of Marinette's lips quirked in a pleasant smile. 'Sometimes you really are slow, Shelly,' she shook her head. 'They aren't for Wayzz, they're for Lahiffe Junior!'

'Nettie, hamsters don't wear shoes and besides how did you even know you'd get one-,' at that moment Nino finally caught up with his wife beamy smile and the joyous sparkle in her eyes and then the realization came. He sat on the sofa, his head spinning and hands shaking.

'You… You're… We are…?'

'Uhuh,' Marinette sat down beside him and he instantly wrapped his arms around her, tears gleaming in his eyes.

Nino rocked them gently for some time, holding her close to make sure this was real.

'We're going to have a little turtlebug,' he whispered. 'I honestly don't know how I'm going to top that gift next year.'

'I might have a few ideas,' his wife replied cryptically, squeezing him tighter.

* * *

 _AN: This is my last story for Nino Appreciation Week. I didn't have enough time to write those two last prompts, and besides my ideas were rather angsty so I've decided to end it here, on this fluffy little drabble._

 _I hope you liked it. Please let me know. I appreciate your reviews, favs and follows. Next on my update list: "Tomorrow's Hopes", that third chapter is almost done._

 _Check out my other stories and visit me on tumblr (perditaalottachocolate-blog). I tend to post sneak peeks of the stories I'm working on and share mostly miraculous content._

* * *

 _EDIT. Now this got a few new parts, you can find them here:_

 _Part 1: The Tales of Seven Reveals (ML Reveal Week Series), chapter 3: Reluctant: Stay_

 _Part 2: ChroNINOcles (Nino Appreciation Week collection), chapter 2: Day 2 – My Hero_

 _Part 4: Tininette_


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